Fireside Prophets' Justin D'Alfonso Admits: "I Love Dreads"

With a name like Fireside Prophets, you'd think this reggae-rock trio has something profound to say, possibly on a campground at night. Their sound brings bits of grunge to reggae, and it's up to you to decide if whether these three musicians -- guitarist Justin D'Alfonso, bassist Oren Gross, and drummer Travis Schmeider -- are truly speakers of some divine message. Their songs tell the story of a romantic, sun-tinged sort of human condition.

The trio, which hails from Boca Raton and first formed at Florida Atlantic University, have a busy month coming up that they're kicking it off tonight in Lake Worth. We spoke with singer D'Alfonso about Bob Marley, Rasta living in Miami, and dreads of course.

New Times: Describe your music in under five words.

Justin D'Alfonso: Dirty, gritty reggae, because out music is different than most the bands on the scene.

Is Bob Marley your idol?

We're more on the rockier side of the reggae scene. Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix are a couple core influences of my style growing up, but we all come from different backgrounds. Bob Marley is a huge influence in my writing and our overall values as a band. He and his family have paved the way for a lot of us in the scene.

I love dreads, our drummer actually had some unique dreads when we first started the band freshmen year at FAU. But overall I respect the Rastafarian culture and all their beliefs and practices.

What's the name of your EP, and when is it set to come out?

Our EP is called Resinate named after the title track, it is currently available now on iTunes, Amazon, and most online distributers, and we're proud to announce the EP was also recently added to Pandora and Jango radio so you can check out the vibes on there as well, or pick up a fresh copy at our live shows! We're also in the works of recording our first full length LP, hopefully to be released later this winter so stay tuned for that!

What do you think about the reggae lifestyle in South Florida?

South Florida has deep roots in the reggae lifestyle, culturally and musically. Since some of the Marleys are stationed in the Miami region, the Sunshine State has developed into a New Age reggae culture in recent generations. It's laid back, free, hippie-esque in some ways, everyone loves each other, shares, collaborates, and influences each other and the community in a positive way. The music scene in general is much like a brotherhood and the fans help keep family all together!

Any additional comments?

We have a lot of plans for this year, with a new album on the way, were setting up a Southeastern tour later this year and hoping to spread the music even further. August is full of exciting shows to attend including this Friday at Speakeasy Lounge in Lake Worth, and we're helping our boys from up North, Sheffield Crew, with a couple dates next week starting with Propaganda, Lake Worth on Thursday the 15th. All leading up to a back to school bash at FAU on the 24th to welcome back all the new and returning students. We're pretty excited to play again where it all started five years ago. Our first performance was on the housing lawn on campus, so we hope to see some new and familiar faces!